“I didn’t know you guys were there,” I call out.
“Yeah, we’re here discussing the band and how much we’ve all missed it, how you left for Australia. You have a habit of running away, Danger,” Nate states.
“Ryan made it clear to me that Recoil was dead. But now we have an opportunity to reinvent ourselves in a new country. We can hone our sound, write new tracks, and meet the right people this time around. I have a good feeling, boys, just need you on board with me. Ican’tdo this without you.” I wish this were aFaceTime call so I could see them because this silent treatment is killing me. “So?” I ask, breaking the tension, not wanting to wait any longer.
“If we do this, no more running,” Ryan demands.
“No more running, I swear. We get settled in Australia, maybe do a tour here, then extend out to the rest of the world as we build our following again. We can do this, as a group, as a band, as brothers.”
“Fuck, yeah!” Matt and Nate call out.
“Ryan, you in?” I ask, my pulse increasing with anticipation.
It all rests on him now.
There’s another fucking pause. My heart leaps into my throat, and it pounds ferociously, waiting for the words I need to hear.
Recoil is nothing without its lead guitarist.
“Yeah… I’m fucking in.”
I throw my hand in the air silently.It finally feels like something’s going right.Something’s changing. The tide’s going out, and suddenly, my head is above water.
I can breathe again.
And I do just that. I take a deep breath while the weight and stress that have been weighing me down finally let up. “This will be epic,” I tell them, and the other guys laugh.
“So what’s the Australian pussy like?” Ryan jests.
A fit of laughter escapes me—he hasn’t changed.
“Oh, dude, you just wait and see. These babes are stunning.”
“Good,” Ryan states.
“So, when will you guys leave?” I ask.
“I’m checking flights now,” Nate says.
This is really happening.
The band is getting back together.
After one big fuck up, I can right a wrong with my boys.
“There’s a flight that leaves in two days in the evening. That should give us enough time to prepare and get our affairs in order, right, Ryan?” Nate asks.
“Yeah, just gotta quit our jobs, tell our families, and pack. That’s about it, and we already have passports,” Ryan tells me.
Nodding, I smile. “What? How? You’ll need visas too.”
“When you rang and told me you were leaving for Australia, we decided to come see you. We applied for visas and were going to surprise you, but now we have a real reason to come.”
“Well then… I guess I’ll see you in about five days.”
“Yeah, I’ll let you know when we’re at the airport. Can you make arrangements for us at the hotel you’re staying in?” Ryan asks.
“Of course, leave that to me.”
